Tuesday, September 10, 2013

‘Reality of the religion’

Just like the reality of a person is not the body but the 'Atma"
or inner consciousness, similarly the reality of the religion is its real
essence, the Gyana, not the rituals or its outer look.

In the beginning, the rituals must
have been started for some reason. They still might play some role to help us
concentrate, but usually we get so caught up in the rituals that we forget the
real meaning or the essence of the religion, the Gyana.

When we meet someone, at first we
may look at their outer appearance, but developing any kind of relationship
with them depends on their true nature.

Once we know someone really well and
love them for their qualities, do we still care about their outlook? Do we want
to continue to be with them because of their qualities, or because of their
clothes and outer-look?

Similarly, do we want to be at a
spiritual place because of its essence or its fancy rituals?

In some way, some rituals might be
necessary to keep the sanctity of the place and to keep our mind focused on the
goal in large gatherings. But we must remember that the rituals are secondary,
just to help us in some way. We should not forget the real essence, the
Gyana.